Why we think it’s a great listen: Want to join the “superhumans”? Luckily you don’t have to run to catch up with them, thanks to McDougall’s and Sanders’ inspiring (and motivating) journey through history, science, physiology, health, entertaining characters and unlikely friendships. Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure.

Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

A dominant force in the sport of ultrarunning, Scott Jurek is a seven-time winner of the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run and a two-time winner of the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley. Eat & Run offers an inspirational account of Jurek’s life as a runner and vegan. Regaling listeners with jaw-dropping tales of endurance, Jurek also delivers sound science and practical advice—as well as his favorite plant-based recipes.

Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance

After running an ultramarathon through the Copper Canyons of Mexico, Christopher McDougall finds his next great adventure on the razor-sharp mountains of Crete, where a band of Resistance fighters in World War II plotted the daring abduction of a German general from the heart of the Nazi occupation.

An incredible but true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations ever

In October 2006, the night before he was to turn forty, Rich experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he saw where his sedentary lifestyle was taking him. Most of us look the other way when granted such a moment of clarity, but not Rich.

The Cool Impossible: The Coach from "Born to Run" Shows How to Get the Most from Your Miles - and from Yourself

Featured in the best-selling book Born to Run, coach and performance guru Eric Orton has spent a lifetime learning and thinking about running and about the limitless possibilities of the human body and mind. In The Cool Impossible, Orton shares his wealth of knowledge in an inspiring step-by-step guide that will open up a new world of achievement for runners of all levels of ability and experience. The truth is: Athleticism is awareness. That simple phrase is at the core of The Cool Impossible.

Ultramarathon Man: Confession of an All-Night Runner

Karnazes reveals the mind-boggling adventures of his nonstop treks through the hell of Death Valley, the incomprehensible frigidity of the South Pole, and the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and canyons of the Sierra Nevada.

In 2007, Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a newcomer and a complete unknown to the press, Chrissie's win shook up the sport. A Life without Limits is the story of her rise to the top, a journey that has taken her around the world, from a childhood in England, to the mountains of Nepal, to the oceans of New Zealand, to the trails of Argentina, and finally, across the finish line. A Life without Limits reveals the heart behind her success.

The Running Revolution: How to Run Faster, Farther, and Injury-Free - For Life

The Running Revolution provides both beginning and experienced runners with everything they need to know in order to safely and efficiently transition to and master a safer and more biomechanically efficient way of running that is guaranteed to improve performance and minimize wear and tear on the body.

The Ultra Mindset

Travis Macy has summited glacial peaks in the French Alps, rappelled into limestone caves in China, and raced through parched deserts in Utah. In 2013 he famously won the Leadman Series, a combination of nearly 300 miles of high-altitude trail running and mountain biking over the course of five epic endurance races. Macy achieved all of these victories without elite professional training or even exceptional strength, speed, or flexibility.

Once a Runner

Once a Runner captures the essence of what it means to be a competitive runner; to devote your entire existence to a single-minded pursuit of excellence. It has become one of the most beloved sports novels ever written. Originally self-published in 1978 and sold at road races out of the trunk of the author's car, reading the book became a rite of passage for many runners, and tattered copies were handed down like sacred texts from generation to generation.

My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon

My Life on the Run chronicles the heatstroke and frostbite, heartache and triumphs he's experienced while competing in more than 1,000 competitive races on all seven continents. With the wit and wisdom of a seasoned insider, Yasso tells runners what they need to know to navigate the logistics of running in an unfamiliar country. He also offers practical guidance, such as 5-K, 10-K, half-marathon, and marathon training schedules, including his innovative technique known as the Yasso 800s for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runners.

Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run

Until five years ago, Alexandra Heminsley was decidedly not a runner. Nor was she athletic in any sense of the word. She was an ordinary, curvy woman who was convinced that sports of any kind, especially running, were beyond her. But she's made running part of her life, and gets to reap the rewards: not just the obvious things, like a touch of weight loss, health and glowing skin, but self-belief, and immeasurable daily pleasure.

What I Talk about When I Talk about Running: A Memoir

From the best-selling author of Kafka on the Shore comes this rich and revelatory memoir about writing and running and the integral impact both have made on his life. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers Murakami's four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon. Settings range from Tokyo, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston, among young women who outpace him.

You Are an Ironman: How Six Weekend Warriors Chased Their Dream of Finishing the World's Toughest Triathlon

As he did so masterfully in his New York Times best seller The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg creates a compelling portrait of people obsessed with reaching a life-defining goal. In this instance, the target is an Ironman triathlon---a 2.4-mile open-water swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then finally a 26-mile marathon run, all of which must be completed in no more than seventeen hours. Steinberg focuses not on the professional who live off the prize money and sponsorships, but on a handful of triathletes who regard the sport as a hobby.

Running with the Kenyans: Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth

Whether running is your recreation, your religion, or just a spectator sport, Adharanand Finn’s incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya will captivate and inspire you. Part travelogue, part memoir, this mesmerizing quest to uncover the secrets of the world’s greatest runners - and put them to the test - combines practical advice, a fresh look at barefoot running, and hard-won spiritual insights.

I'm Here to Win: A World Champion's Advice for Peak Performance

As the winner of the 2010 Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii, Chris "Macca" McCormack may be the world's greatest athlete. In I'm Here to Win, McCormack shares his story along with training tips and practical advice to help listeners develop their own routines, diet, exercise programs and race strategies. Chris McCormack has dedicated his life to training for - and winning - the Ironman World Championships, one of the most grueling tests of mental and physical endurance in the world.

Out There: A Story of Ultra Recovery

David Clark went from the rock bottom of bankruptcy, addiction, and obesity to becoming an accomplished athlete. In this compelling story of his life, he not only shares his journey with complete honesty, but he also lays out a blueprint for change that anyone can use to redefine what is possible.

Again to Carthage

Quenton Cassidy thought he had left his athletic career far behind as he built a successful professional career in south Florida. But as several personal tragedies and the wear and tear of life began to weigh upon him, he wonders if perhaps he hasn't given up a special part of his life too soon. His return to the world of competitive running is dramatic and revelatory to both the protagonist and the listener, as is his desperate, all-out attempt to make on last Olympic team.

Short Fat Chick to Marathon Runner

When celebrated radio personality and columnist Kerre Woodham found herself 40, overweight, and depressed she faced two choices - do nothing and probably not make it to 50 or do something and get her life back. Fortunately for all of us, and especially those women who like to eat and dress well, she decided to fight back. Leaving kilos of herself and two bra sizes behind 'somewhere in the Waitakeres', she embarked on a fitness and training regime, with a goal to complete the Auckland marathon.

Publisher's Summary

Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world's greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence.

With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a 50-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.

With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons.

Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

What the Critics Say

"Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history....[McDougall] seeks to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara the old-fashioned way: He tracks them down....The climactic race reads like a sprint....It simply makes you want to run." (Outside Magazine)"Hugely entertaining. . . . One of the most joyful and engaging books about running to appear for many years." (The Irish Times)A terrific ride, recommended for any athlete." (Kirkus)

Born to Run was a very fun book to read, and full of amazing characters, but what I loved the most were all the nuggets of interesting and useful information sandwiched into the story (i.e. studies on the value of running shoes, the superfood Chia seeds, the backgrounds of successful ultra distance runners). I'm sure it starting to annoy my wife how much I cite things from this book, but it's too good not to share it.

In addition to being an interesting book with tons of good info, it was incredibly well written, and the authors humor is spot on.

I tend to download books to listen to while I run. Out of all the books which I have listened, this book was the most motivating. McDougall touches on all of the reasons I enjoy running. Listening to this book I found it easy to push through that extra mile or two.

Mcdougall gets his message across here, but in a very scattered fashion. He keeps jumping back and forth about different people, places and things. At the end of the day, the audiobook was okay, with the second half being the best. The second half was all about the physics of running (man vs. animal), and the big race in Mexico. Narration was solid.

Masterfully crafted narratives that engage even non-runners in the lives of the most extreme runners in the world.

I had already started down the path of barefoot or at least minimalist running/walking due to realizing that whilst on vacation in Europe, I had walked a marathon in two days in flimsy fashion sneakers with barely any sole - and NO pain!

This book has inspired me to stay on my minimalist journey - a personal one - and continue to be bipedal, especially on the trails in my neighborhood.

Humans were designed to be in motion, in nature, and this book helps me to remember that.

I can honestly say that this book made more of an impact on my lifestyle than anything else I've ever read or listened to. This book is not preachy nor is it a self help book. It is simply an interesting story (non-fiction) that inadvertantly lights a fire inside of you. As a result of reading this book, I'm much more active, I eat healthier, and I've lost a lot of weight. Best of all - it's a great read. If you're reading this review right now, do yourself a favour and buy this book!

The full title is key to understanding everything this book has to offer. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. What you don't know from that title, though, is that you do not have to be a runner to get caught up in this story and be completely fascinated.

Born to Run is known as one of *the* books to read in the running community. McDougall's tale of an unknown tribe and the athletes who wanted to keep up with them is succinct and fascinating, and no stone is unturned as he analyzes his own running techniques. Reviewing controversial insights into the "right" shoe to wear, the "right" form, and his experiences with the ultrarunning athletes who are wildly impressive (and just plain crazy) kept me up late, rapt with attention. (Ultrarunners are those who complete distances further than the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. In fact, what is normally considered a minimum ultrarun, according to Ultrarunning's site, is 31.07 miles (a 50k), and extending all the way to 100 miles. There are even events that go for days, not just distances.)

All runners experience injuries and McDougall is no different. When his foot hurt, doctors advised a break. He kept running, and with the help of the mysterious Caballo Blanco, met the Tarahumara tribe of Mexico who easily run extreme distances daily, mileages that will make your jaw drop. They blew me away, I admit. Could anyone easily run a distance from New York to Detroit within a couple of days and not be completely destroyed? Probably not. But the Tarahumra tribe can. And when they run, they wear thin soled sandals that go against everything you were taught to believe about the "right" running shoe. Sometimes, the tribe even run barefoot and still, no issues.

The audio book is a perfect choice to listen to while running, especially if you're like me and don't like to listen to music. I was motivated to get out there and feel inspired by the ultrarunning legends, and the talents of the Tarahumara tribe. Born to Run will definitely be on my list of best books read in 2012, and I will be referring to this book several times over for motivation and insight. Whether you think you are "built for it" or not, you may become convinced we really were born to run, and to run long distances at that.

Interesting fact from the book: We were faster in the 1970s. Six amateur men in a local running group could break a 2:12 marathon mark, but in 2000 we didn't have any US marathoner in the Olympics who would have been able to meet that time. In fact, for the men's marathon, we finished in 69th place. Could it be the way shoes are made nowadays? The Tarahumara go barefoot a lot.

Runners and non-runners: You can't go wrong with this incredible story of Christopher McDougall's quest to understand running that first started because he wanted to find out why his foot hurt. In fact, those who don't run may actually be inspired to go for a short run. I would recommend that. After all, you might surprise yourself.

This is probably the best Audible experience I've had to date. I couldn't stop listening- between a couple of morning runs and a weekend of painting the bathroom with my headphones on, I listened to the entire book in three days. Great descriptions of why people run (and what is wrong with the sport), but any non-runners will have no problem enjoying this. The real-life personalities are so interesting, I found my self constantly at my computer looking for internet photos to match the faces with the story. The settings for much of this book are fascinating in themselves- imagine running races that last more than a day, through environments reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Arc!

Even if you're not a runner (I am), I defy you not to be hooked by the opening two chapters. The story of a lost tribe of super-runners, living in a remote corner of Mexico, sounds like almost too much of a tall tale to be true. Can they really run for 30 hours straight, at a blazing pace, over grueling terrain, wearing no more than sandals on their feet? And they actually *enjoy* doing this? Why has the rest of the world not heard of these Tarahumara?

Rather than jump straight to his research and its conclusions, McDougall starts at the moment he heard of the reclusive indigenous group and brings the reader along on his journey of discovery, with its detective work, oddball characters, and side adventures. Along the way, we learn about the Tarahumara's unique culture and history, the equally strange world of ultra-marathoners, and the evolution of running both as a sport and as, well, evolution. These discoveries lead McDougall to a lot of intriguing questions that will no doubt put this work on runners' bookshelves for years to come. Are modern, cushioned running shoes actually bad for you? Is leg shock good for you? Are humans actually programmed by their genes to be endurance runners? Is the conventional wisdom of coaches, doctors, and nutritionists about running wrong?

With his glib, dude-next-door writing style, McDougall never entirely gets to the bottom of many of the questions he raises (and maybe displays a little too much of a feel-good attitude about the Tarahumara's poverty-stricken lives), but the intertwining stories of the runners he meets are so interesting that I doubt too many readers will mind. By the last section of the book, which features a race between Tarahumara runners and several of America's best ultra-marathoners, on the former's home turf, far from any ESPN camera crews, I'd forgotten all about foot mechanics and hunter-gatherer tactics, and just wanted to know what would happen next.

I really enjoyed this book. It is by far one of the best listens out there. I found myself looking for chores/tasks to do that would give me an excuse to keep listening to the book. Well written, funny and educational.

Born To Run kept me awake at night and got me back to running - which is quite exceptional. It's insights, narrative talent and richness of content are pure joy. I have never liked watching sport on TV, for the first time I was hanged at narration of a race. Must read/listen, trust me

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.